Chapter Thirty-nine Estera Roberts’ POV (Ten Years Before)

“I prefer…” I started to say, but he didn’t give me room to finish. He invaded my personal space and leaned into me with his face barely an inch away from mine to the point that I could smell his intoxicating cologne and the wine he just had for dinner on his breath.
“GET. INSIDE!” he enunciated through gritted teeth, making me flinch as he grabbed me by the forearm and glowered at me.
I glared back at him, letting out a gentle huff, and allowed him to shepherd me inside the car. He waited for me to settle in before slamming the door hard. “What is your problem?!” I snapped. ‘What has gotten into him?’ I thought to myself, watching him march back to the driver's side and get inside the car. He jerked his seatbelt on and literally zoomed down the road as if we were in some car race!
I wanted to tell him to slow down, but when I glanced at him his face was tensely held forward and I could see he was working his jaw. Evan was evidently angry but I have no idea what I had done. I swallowed my words and sat back. I figured he would tell me what was wrong when he was good and ready -- that is if we got back to the estate in one piece, but after waiting for a few minutes and he was still speeding like a crazy man without saying a word, I knew I couldn’t just continue to hold my tongue.
“I would like to know what I had done to put you in this mood before I die,” I said, breaking the tense silence in the sleek car.
“We are not going to crash. I am a great driver,” he replied in a gruff voice.
“My father was a great driver. He is dead now,” I delivered.
He glanced at me and I met his stormy gaze. Then he reverted his eyes to the road and gradually reduced his speed.
“Why the hell didn’t you wait for me?”
“Oh, wait, you know me?! I thought I recognized you too, but then this dumb girl is learning her place,” I said.
“You already proved you are not dumb—”
“Wow, was that what that was about? The peasant girl proving she was worthy of Evan Sterling's attention? Why are you even here alone, sir, ain't you supposed to be with your girlfriend?”
“Joyce is not my girlfriend. It isn’t like that. And it is not a subject I would discuss with a minor—”
“Minor? Did you just call me a minor? I am almost eighteen!”
“Almost— but then you couldn’t be as naive as I figured if you are so quick to give strangers your phone number,” he replied in almost a growl. I gaped at him. Was that what put him in this mood? Is Evan Sterling trying to play big brother or what?
“Are you freaking kidding me?! He was with you—”
“And that means you can trust him? Or that just made it comfortable enough for you to play along with whatever shitty game he planned to play with you!” he roared.
“What game, sir? Do you mean sex?! I am almost done with a pre-med course! Believe me, I know about human anatomy, and I am knowledgeable enough about what goes on between a man and a woman!” I yelled back. Livid as hell that he would think of me as a minor. When I want him to look at me as a woman. Damn it! And to my consternation, my eyes welled with tears. He took a glance at me, held my gaze for about a second, and looked ahead.
“I forbid you to answer Brian’s call or any other man at that. You will not dare meet up with him anywhere at any time —”
“What?! You forbid me? Who the hell do you think you are to say that to me? You are not my father nor are you, my big brother. I don’t even know you—”
“You will know me well enough, Estera if you ever disobey my orders,” he said in a low growl as he reached for my chin and leaned into me, leaving about half an inch between our faces. I became aware of a few things: the smoldering ember in Evan’s eyes and that we were no longer moving. The car was parked and I could see the familiar landscape of the front view of my aunt Sophia’s chalet. The trimmed lawns outside his side window awashed with the dull light glow from the garden lamps. We were already in the Sterling’s estate.
I blinked, breathing through parted lips, watching intently as his lips moved closer to mine. My heart shook in the wall of my chest and the sound of my longing resounded in my ears. I knew it couldn’t be in my head when his eyes grew impossibly darker. I have watched enough romance movies to recognize what pure hunger looks like. And Evan was looking at me as if he wanted to devour me. I wanted him to do just that. The longing inside me was almost physically painful now. I swallowed and succumbed to the urge to lick my dry lips. Evan groaned deep in his throat and my eyes searched his eyes hurriedly, silently letting him know I wanted him to kiss me and for a moment I thought he would. His face drew even closer — so close that I could feel his hot breath on my lips. And then he drew back and said, “Good night, Estera. Think about what I said to you. And don’t even think of disobeying me.” His voice sounded cold and detached.
If I had wanted to slug him before, the urge to do that grew even stronger now.